Attack on Titan: My System Says “Work Hard” and That’s It

"Wait a minute~"

Turning around, Ronan saw Levi standing behind him with his usual cool expression, eyes fixed on him. Ronan blinked, a bit confused but not intimidated.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked calmly.

"Join the Survey Corps," Levi said bluntly.

His sharp eyes remained locked onto Ronan, gauging his reaction.

Without hesitation, Ronan replied, "Okay~"

"...Oh," Levi muttered, then promptly turned around and walked off.

Watching him go, Ronan's mouth twitched slightly. Was it really necessary to act that cool?

Unbeknownst to him, Levi, now facing away, looked slightly embarrassed. He hadn't expected the kid to agree so quickly.

Was it really that easy? Damn it... what am I supposed to say to that?

"Whatever. I just wanted to touch base with him. Since he's agreed to join the Survey Corps, I'll leave the rest to Erwin. Mission complete," Levi thought as he picked up his pace to escape the awkward moment.

As for the conversation they just had—he'd rather not dwell on it.

Back in motion, Ronan shrugged off the moment and caught up with the others. The next step was likely an identity screening.

In this world, Ronan's background was clean—good family, no criminal record—so he wasn't worried.

Sure enough, after nearly half an hour of routine questioning and record-taking, he stepped out of the room.

Outside, two other successful candidates were waiting.

"Hey, nice to meet you," one of them said with a friendly smile. "My name's Ellis, and this is Livington. We're both from the Shiganshina District. Figured we'd introduce ourselves—could use someone to watch our backs when we start the Training Corps."

"Ronan~" he replied, smiling as he reached out to shake Ellis's hand.

Seeing that Ronan was easy to talk to, both men seemed relieved. Since they'd all passed the test and weren't in direct competition, the atmosphere remained friendly.

They weren't quite friends yet—after all, it was their first day meeting—but they were no longer strangers.

Ronan quickly learned more about them.

Ellis, age 20, and Livington, 19, were childhood friends. Both had joined the military with the goal of entering the Military Police Brigade—a safe path to a better life in the Interior, where they could protect their families from danger.

Ronan didn't judge them for their ambitions. Everyone had their own reasons. He had no right to interfere.

He politely declined their invitation to eat together. He had his own group—Eren and the others—waiting at the gates of the base, ready to celebrate.

As he walked away, Livington finally asked under his breath,

"Why are we even trying to make friends with this kid?"

"This kid's young, but insanely talented. Even the Vice Commander of the Survey Corps took an interest in him. I saw some soldiers near Levi actively speaking with him..." Ellis explained.

Livington frowned. "So? What's that got to do with us being friendly with him?"

"...Are you stupid?" Ellis said flatly. "It's better to make friends than enemies. If he becomes someone important, he might help us. Besides, we're the only three from Shiganshina entering the Training Corps this round. The more people we have, the stronger we stand. We don't want other districts pushing us around."

"...Oh~" Livington nodded in sudden understanding.

Whether he truly understood, only he knew.

Meanwhile, Ronan was being swarmed with praise by Eren and Armin.

The two boys now treated him like an idol, eyes wide with admiration. Ronan had beaten dozens of older competitors and finished first in the test. They couldn't hide their pride in him.

After all, he was their big brother figure.

Even Mikasa looked at him differently now. Her expression was unreadable—half surprised, half confused.

In her memory, Ronan had never been particularly strong. Older, yes, but she'd always outshone him physically. Now? It felt like the roles had reversed.

For the first time, Mikasa wasn't sure she could beat him. The realization stung.

She used to be the strongest—the one who earned astonished glances from Eren.

Now? She felt a little bitter.

While the younger trio basked in excitement, Carla and Aunt Martha remained quiet. They still hoped to convince Ronan not to join the Survey Corps—the most dangerous branch of all.

But deep down, they knew it was already too late.

Grisha and Hannes, on the other hand, were more supportive. They offered words of advice, urging Ronan to stay humble, get along with others, and avoid making enemies during his time in the Training Corps.

Many recruits would be from powerful families, joining the army as a formality or a stepping stone. Some could be dangerous if provoked.

"Be cautious around people like that," Grisha warned. "Don't underestimate them. Blend in when you need to."

Ronan nodded seriously, listening to every word. His calm and grounded attitude reassured both Grisha and Hannes.

Looking over at the ever-reckless Eren, Carla and Grisha exchanged a glance and silently agreed:

They needed to focus more on Eren's education moving forward.

"...Eren."